Swapping Brothers
by Amara-BelleTomlinson
Summary: Ava-Louisa; best friends with Albus Potter and sworn enemies with his older brother James. After a roller coaster of events, Ava-Louisa realises there must be someone up in heaven who really wants that to change. Having such complicated relationships and friendships with two brothers, let alone the Potter brothers, she is destined to end up in trouble.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Hi! I'm Ava-Louisa, and I'm an A-Grade bitch. That is, according to James Sirius Potter. However, his opinion mattered to me about as much as I payed attention during Professor Binn's interminable, droning speeches, which is not at all. I was perfectly content on ignoring the older Potter brother, as he was with me, which wasn't at all that hard seeing as we weren't even in the same year at Hogwarts. Unfortunately we couldn't pretend the other didn't exist, as we were in the same house, Gryffindor, and I was best friends with his younger brother, Albus. There wasn't anyone I got along with better, meaning that I frequently bumped into James while I was at the Potter's house in the holidays. There had been arguments in the past few years between James and I, which had lead up to us now ignoring each other and bitching about another behind the other's back. I couldn't even remember how we started hating each other, he was just one of those people where everything he did annoyed me. I didn't care what James Potter thought of me, as I wasn't going to let him ruin my life at school, and was perfectly prepared to interact with him as little as possible until he left school. Unfortunately for both of us, god, destiny, or whatever else decides the future, had different plans for us.

Albus Potter rolled his eyes as I talked enthusiastically about the holiday my parents and I were going on in the summer holidays, for the hundredth time that week.  
"Stop making me jealous, Little A" he groaned, however I could tell he wasn't thoroughly bored or angry as he still used my nickname.

I laughed "I can just pack you in my suitcase, then you don't need to be jealous"

It was Albus's turn to laugh as he replied, "No thanks, I don't want to be squashed up next to all your smelly clothes"

I tried to poke him in the ribs, however he dodged my arm and escaped, yet his quick movement to the side caused him to trip over one of the rocks on the pebble beach we were currently strolling along, and he flailed his arms trying to regain his balance. I saw the fleeting look of shock and horror on his face as he started toppling backwards into the shallow water. I doubled over in laughter, collapsing on the pebbles. The water lapped around Albus's ankles as he stood up, glaring at me, water dripping from his uniform. I continued to giggle, still lying on the pebble shore. The annoyed expression on Albus's face quickly turned into a smirk as he bent down and splashed a large amount of water on me. I shrieked, and scrambled away as fast as I could. Albus laughed loudly as he ran after me along the water's edge, his athletic body quickly catching up to mine. He managed to wrap his arms around my waist and lift me up, carrying me into the Black Lake as I screamed.  
"Put me down, Albus! I swear I will never talk to you again!"

"Put you down?" he asked, grinning, "Whatever the lady demands" he then said, as he let go of my waist and I fell into the water.

The water was cold, however the hot July sun made it extremely refreshing. "I hate you so much" I told him, even though both of us knew that wasn't true. The water reached my waist, and my whole uniform was soaked.

"No you don't, you love me" he said with a wink, and then shook his head so that the water droplets in his hair sprayed everywhere.

I glared at him, then decided to jump on him and try and get him completely soaked too. I succeeded, however Albus pulled me into the water with him, so that both of us were once more submerged. He then wrapped his arms around me from behind in a hug.

"I'm going to miss you this summer, Little A" he grinned.

I sighed and cuddled into his arms. "I'll miss you too, Big A"

Albus and I had been friends ever since the first day of classes in our first year at Hogwarts. We'd been sat together during Transfiguration, and bonded when we were the only ones who managed to turn our pin into a match on the first go, while the rest of the class spent at least half an hour on it. Now, almost five years later and during our O. we were as close as brother and sister. Many people mistook us for a couple, and I didn't blame them, as Albus and I often held hands or cuddled on the sofa in front of the fire in the common room, or just acted like a couple in general. However, we were simply the best of friends, who understood and knew everything about each other, from the way we judged people when we first met them to those embarrassing stories we had collected since birth.

Albus and I made our way back to the Gryffindor common room after we had dried off in the sun. We entered the common room laughing loudly, and received several filthy looks from the others for disrupting the quiet area everyone was currently using to study. Albus and I rolled our eyes and quickly made our way up to the fifth-year boys' dorm, as to not make any new enemies by interrupting the deep chains of thought in the common room below.

Two of Albus's friends were in their dorm as we entered, arguing about something in their History of Magic book.  
"What's up, Clyde and Miles?" Albus asked them, casually strolling over to them as I made my way to their bathroom, making sure I didn't have mascara smudges from going swimming in the Black Lake before. Everyone was studying for exams, yet with only two more days left until we had finished for the year, Albus and I decided that we were done studying. Well, I had hardly studied and today I had persuaded Albus that we didn't need to study for Astronomy and History of Magic, our last two subjects. I didn't _not _study because I was a bad student, learning came naturally to me and once I had understood something, it rarely left my brain, meaning I never bothered with last-minute revision. Albus was similar, just not quite to an extent as me, which is why he had bothered to look at the books before each exam, while I lazed around the couches, occasionally helping my friends with certain subjects. Rose Weasley seemed especially irritated that I didn't bother to study, and Albus, who was her cousin, always told me that "Dad says it's the Aunt Hermione in her, and that she was exactly like Rose is now when she was our age".

Being best friends with the son of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley was kind of special, I guess. I was invited to all their family gatherings now, and treated as if I was a relative. The huge amount of cousins which Gryffindor consisted almost half of (OK not quite but you get what I mean), always ensured that the family get-togethers were loud and joyous.

I walked back out of the fifth years' boys' bathroom, and made my way over to where Albus had just finished explaining about a certain Giant war to Clyde and Miles, who now looked like they vaguely understood it. They mumbled their thanks to Albus who went over to his four poster bed and lay down on it, closing his eyes. I bounded over to him and jumped on his bed, snuggling down beside him. He didn't even open his eyes to droop an arm around me like the protective big brother he was. I felt my eyes slowly close, about to take a pre-dinner nap when the door to the dorm banged open and James bounded in, Fred Weasley II following in right after. James stared at the way Albus and I were entwined on the bed with a look of disgust. It was obvious he didn't approve of our friendship.  
"What do you want?" Albus groaned beside me.

"I need the cloak" James replied, looking expectantly at Albus.

The boy next to me sighed and reached under his cushion and pulled out the shining material, then tossed it at James who caught it in one hand, however didn't move from his position at the bottom of Albus's bed.  
"What now?" Albus asked his brother, sighing again.

"You're not dating _her_ are you?" James asked him rudely.

I glared at him.

"_She_ has a name. And no we aren't dating" Albus replied angrily.

"Good." James said bluntly, then added, "Because you could do so much better than her, mate"

Albus and I both stuck our middle finger up at him.

"Get out of my dorm, you tosser" Albus almost growled.

James smirked, being proud of his insult towards me. He then turned, and he and Weasley swaggered out of the room again.

"Sorry about him" Albus sighed, running his hand through his hair.

I shrugged. "At least I won't have to see him during summer, I mean if I'm in Greece and China and Australia it would be a little hard for us to bump into each other while he spends his whole holidays at your house" I replied with a wink.

Albus laughed, before his face turned solemn again. "I'm really going to miss you, A", repeating what he told me at the lake.

I smiled slightly, before we both settled into a comfortable silence.

Miles and Clyde were still stooped above their History of Magic book.

I managed to get about ten minutes of sleep before Albus gently shook me awake. "It's dinner time, A"

I groaned, but the idea of food, made me open my eyes. Albus was already standing up, holding out his hand to me.  
"Come on, Ava" he pleaded. "My stomach is growling out of hunger"

I sighed and slowly sat up. "Boys and their food." I laughed, before grabbing Albus's hand and gaily skipping all the way to the Great Hall for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

Albus and I grinned at each other as we exited our Astronomy exam, knowing we had done well. We were joined by Rose, who fretted non-stop about answers she knew she "could have done better in" and Roxanne Weasley, who was another cousin of Albus's. Roxanne and I were good friends, and I loved her adventurous spirit, which all her cousins said she got from her father, George Weasley. Currently, she was complaining about her older brother, Fred Weasley II, who was best friends with James Potter and Louis and Dominique Weasley. Apparently she was "fed up with the amount of girls he's snogging".

"Let him have his fun!" Albus laughed. "I mean, he's not forcing the girls to snog him, I'm sure they are all more than willing" he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Roxanne pretended to throw up. "Who would be willing to kiss that?" she shuddered.

"Well he's not exactly unnatractive" Rose added.

Roxanne made a face of disgust. "You're his cousin! You can't say that!" she gasped.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Roxanne, we can still judge other people's attractiveness even if they are related to us, there's nothing wrong with that"

Roxanne sighed "I guess, but it's kind of weird that _anyone_ would find Fred attractive"

Albus laughed. "Maybe you're just jealous that he can get all the girls to kiss him yet you've only had what, two kisses this year?" he winked at her.

Roxanne pulled the finger at him. "It's still more than you've had this year" she said sassily.

Rose and I "oooohed" at Albus's defeat.

"Hey guys!" we heard a shout from behind us, and turned around to see Scorpius Malfoy sprinting across the grounds towards us.

"Hey what's up, Scorp?" Albus asked as he reached us, only slightly out of breath.

"Just finished my Arithmancy exam, how was Astronomy?" he asked us, falling in step beside us.

Scorpius was in Slytherin, yet over the years we had all bonded and formed a friendship many people talked about, as when Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione, and Draco Malfoy were our age they had been mortal enemies. However, since the war had ended and we had grown up in a less discriminating environment against wizards without pure-blood, our inter-house friendship wasn't the only one.

"The Astronomy exam went alright" Albus was saying.  
"Yeah it was easy stuff we learnt at the beginning of the Year like identifying Jupiter's moons and things like that" Roxanne told Scorpius.

"But the Practical is tonight" I added. "So we're all nice and tired tomorrow morning for our History of Magic exam!" I said in a bright, sarcastic way.

Scorpius laughed. "I'm so glad I swapped to Arithmancy," he said.

I looked over to Rose who had been silent since Scorpius joined our group. "You okay, Rosie?" I asked.

She looked at me with slightly pink-tinted cheeks and nodded quickly.

I frowned. What was up with her lately?

"Is that Parker over there…. With Molly?" Albus interrupted my worry for Rose.

Everyone looked towards the tree Albus pointed at. Sure enough, under the tree was yet another Weasley cousin in our year, her body entwined with that of a boy in her house, Hufflepuff, kissing him voraciously.

Rose tried to stifle her laughter behind her hand, while the rest of us weren't as polite, bursting out into laughter.

"Get him, Molls!" Albus shouted over towards them.

Molly and Parker looked up, startled. When she recognized us she rolled her eyes and pulled Parker behind the tree, out of our line of sight.

"I didn't even know she fancied him" Scorpius said.

"Neither did we" Albus laughed. "Not quite sure how I feel about those two though"

"You're probably feeling jealousy" Roxanne told him, a smirk playing on her mouth.

Albus snorted. "Why would I be jealous of kissing Parker?"

"No, I mean that you haven't had as many kisses as Molly has this year" Roxanne answered, grinning.

Albus glared at her. "So? I still have… two whole school days left"

Roxanne laughed. "Just admit that you've gotten less girls this year than cousin Molly has managed to get guys"

Albus continued glaring at her.

"I'm going to miss you all this summer" I laughed.

"Where are you going again?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah, you haven't exactly explained where you're going, mind telling us again?" Albus said sarcastically, making fun of the countless times I'd told him about my plans for the holidays.

I rolled my eyes. "My parents and I are going to France, Greece, China, America, Brazil and Australia" I answered Scorpius.

"That's heaps of places!" his eyes widened. "Mind taking me with you?" he asked with a wink.

I laughed "Sorry Scorp, I already promised Albus a place in my suitcase"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I should have guessed. How come you're travelling the world though?"

"My parents' business thing" I answered simply. "Which means that they'll be busy most of the time while I can go and do whatever I want, like shopping and snogging foreign boys" I grinned.

"Bring me back a fabulously fit Brazilian bird, would you?" Albus asked.

"Me too please" Scorpius grinned.

"And you're welcome to bring me back a French or Greek hottie, Ava" Roxanne told me with a sweet smile.

"And what lad would you like me to bring you back, Rose?" I asked her, playing along.

Her cheeks went red. "I don't mind" she squeaked.

I frowned. My darling Rosie was definitely not acting herself.

* * *

"I'm exhausted" I complained to Albus, who looked just as tired as me.

We were all lining up for our last O.W.L, History of Magic. Our practical Astronomy exam had caused many of us to look like we needed a few more hours of sleep, yet the prospect of almost having finished for this school year gave us the motivation to get up.

"We can get through this, Sophie" Albus smiled tiredly as he wrapped one of his arms around me and I leaned into him.

The History of Magic exam was one of the easiest, even though I hardly payed attention to the corresponding classes in the past five years. Most of it was the formation of the International Confederation of Wizards and explain why the Warlocks of Liechtenstein refused to join. I was almost buzzing with excitement as I wrote the last few lines of my essay answer, the joy of being so close to the end of term feast, the train ride home, and what was going to be the most exciting holidays for me yet.

I put down my quill to see that I still had half an hour of my exam left. I looked around to see Rose still scribbling furiously, Roxanne looking completely bored with what she was writing, a girl in my dorm, Jennifer, who was staring at the large clock counting down the minutes left, and Albus, who had just put down his quill and locked eyes with me. He grinned, and I made sure that the examiners weren't watching before grinning back at him, as to not get accused of communicating in the exam room and "cheating". Albus winked at me and put his head down on the desk, and I realised he was taking a nap in the last thirty minutes of the exam. I grinned, putting aside my own papers and letting myself fall asleep.

Gina, a girl in Ravenclaw who was sat behind me, gave my chair a subtle nudge with her foot, and I jumped up, immediately awake. I saw the examiners addressing everyone, saying well done for trying hard and that it would pay off and what not, before dismissing us. The fast pace the Great Hall emptied was unbelievable, and once outside everyone burst into loud chatter and celebratory screams that we'd finally finished our exams.

I hugged Rose, then Roxanne, Jennifer, Scorpius, Albus and many others out of happiness. "Now we have a whole day to ourselves!" Roxanne grinned.  
"Most of it will be used to pack our trunks" I laughed. "And I'll probably have to help Albus pack his trunk too"

"Talking about me?" Albus appeared behind us as we made our way up to the Gryffindor common room.

"She's just explaining how you still can't pack your own trunk" Roxanne grinned.

Albus laughed. "I can actually pack my own trunk, Ava here just likes doing it, so I let her"

"We'll see about that when I'm not there to pack your trunk at the end of the holidays at yours, seeing as I'll only be back the day before the holidays end, and I'll need to pack my own" I grinned.

"Prepare to be surprised at my trunk-packing skills" Albus grinned.

"I'm eagerly awaiting it" I grinned.

"Let's go for a swim!" Albus suddenly suggested.

I nodded eagerly, however my friends didn't seem as excited.

Roxanne nudged me, and told me to go if I wanted to.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. "I won't be seeing you for like the whole holidays!"

"Don't be silly, I'll see you in an hour again anyway!" She laughed.

Albus grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the portrait hole.

"Albus wait!" I giggled. "I need to get changed to go swimming first!"

"No you don't," he said impatiently. "We don't need our school robes again until next year!"

I rolled my eyes and tried to protest, but kept following him anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Albus and I walked hand in hand to a bay of the Great Lake which few visited. It was my favourite, as some of the tall trees that stood proudly where the sand and rocks of the shore turned to grass, leant over on an angle. They were great for climbing, but now I used them to hang up my robes, shoes and stockings. I turned to face Albus who was also taking off his shoes. "The last time I went swimming in my blouse and skirt they got all muddy, and part of my skirt even tore!" I told Albus. "I really don't think this is too great of an idea"

Albus grinned. "So take them off?" he suggested. He then unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off, and followed this with his trousers, so he was left in his briefs. I rolled my eyes. "For the love of merlin please leave those on at least" I said, pointing to his underwear.

He grinned at me but nodded.

I sighed, then began unbuttoning my blouse as well, and took off my skirt. I was wearing a bra and matching panties, but it didn't seem too weird for me to be standing in front of Albus like this, as we had gotten changed together many times.

Albus beamed, and then grabbed my hand and we ran into the water. I dived under as soon as it was deep enough, and came up to Albus shaking water droplets out of his hair at me. I splashed some water into his face, then dived under before he could do the same to me. As I was underwater, something suddenly grabbed my ankle. Had I been above water and unable to drown if I had opened my mouth, I would have screamed. My heart was racing as I reached down to fight it off, and found a hand wrapped around my ankle. I suddenly thought about infiri, and wondered if they could be in this lake. I struggled and kicked upwards, and as my face broke the water surface, I looked around wildly for Albus. "Albus?" I screamed, then kicked the hand wrapped around my ankle with my other foot. Surprisingly, the hand let go, and seconds later Albus surfaced. He saw my face and burst out laughing. "You're as pale as a ghost!" he hooted. I looked at him in stunned silence. "That was you?" I asked. "I could have died!" I said, still in shock.

Albus swam towards me. "I would have saved you" he grinned, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I frowned, not looking at him because I knew I would forgive him as soon as I did. I was looking at the mountains on the opposite side of the lake when Albus pressed a kiss to my head, just next to my hairline.

I turned my head to look at him, trying to send him my best glare.

"If that's your way of apologising you're going to have to work a bit harder." I said in a snappy voice.

Albus smiled, but his smile faded slightly as his gaze travelled down to my lips. We were still hugging, the water at my shoulders as he leant in and kissed me.

This wasn't the first time we'd kissed, but the first time it had felt like it meant something. His thumb started rubbing circles on my waist, his other coming up to my neck. Time passes in a funny way when you're kissing, as had I'd been asked how long I'd been there with Albus, our lips locked and arms wrapped around each other, I wouldn't have been able to answer because I had no clue. I only pulled away when I started shivering, my body growing cold in the chilling water.

"It's getting cold" I told Albus.

He nodded, his eyes flicking from my eyes to my lips.

I held his hand as we left the water, and dried ourselves off with our wands. We didn't speak as we put on our clothes again, but Albus held out his hand to me as we began walking back.

The mixed emotions running through me kept me silent. I knew I loved Albus, but I had always thought it was a brother-sister kind of love, as the possibility that something like this could happen was outrageous to me. Had I mistaken my feelings towards him, I wondered? He was also a very good kisser, something I had always wondered about him as he snogged girls at school.

"I'm sorry" Albus finally said as we neared the castle. "I kissed you so if you didn't want that it's my fault". He told me.

"Albus, if I didn't want to kiss you I would have pulled away right at the start" I told him. "I'm just confused because I didn't see this coming"

Albus nodded. "So you did want to kiss me?"

I grinned. "I wouldn't have kissed you first, but I am very glad you took the initiative"

Albus returned my smile, and pulled me into him so he could place his hand on my waist as we walked. "I know it's too early to start anything, especially as you're gone the whole holiday, but could we try this when you're back?" he asked me.

"Try us two? I think I'd like that" I smiled.

Albus and I didn't kiss again, but we held hands frequently up until we got off the train at King's Station.

"I'll miss you so much, Litle A" Albus told me, hugging me from behind as we looked around the crowd of families that had gathered on the station.

"I'll miss you too, Big A" I sighed sadly. "Write me every week though"

Albus grinned. "I'm a boy, you know how we don't like writing"

"Am I not worth it?" I asked him with a wink.

"Of course you are, so I'll try. But if a letter comes a couple of weeks late don't worry that something has happened, because I'll probably have just been too lazy" he grinned.

"Alright" I smiled, then turned around and kissed him one last time, before James interrupted us from behind. "That's disgusting! Don't kiss her Albus, you'll get rabies!"

Albus and I separated, ignoring James. "I'll see you after the holidays" I told him, and then gave him one last hug before walking into the crowd.

* * *

Albus wrote the first week I was in America, and the next week too. The third letter came after two weeks, and the fourth two weeks after. However after that the letters stopped. I didn't worry about it, as I knew how much he despised writing and it was only a short time until school started and I would be back in England, tanned after my holiday overseas. Unlike my original plan, I hadn't snogged boys from each single location I visited. I was looking forward to kissing Albus again, and decided to visit him and his family as soon as we returned to our Manor in England.

However, only a short while after my family and I were in our home again, Professor McGonagall visited us. My parents and her were sitting in the parlor as I came downstairs. My mother was beaming, and quickly waved me over. "Minerva has just told me the most wonderful news, darling!"

I looked at her questioningly, expecting her to elaborate.

McGonagall cleared her throat. "We have received back your OWL results, Miss Lockridge. You managed to get "Outstanding" in every exam you took, which is almost unheard of. Therefore the Ministry and I have decided to offer you the chance to skip your sixth year of schooling, and move straight into your seventh and final year at Hogwarts, as it seems that staying at the level you are at now would be a waste of time."

I stared at McGonagall in surprise, and then looked at my parents. "We already told her you'd be delighted for this opportunity!" my mother told me.

"But my friends!" I exclaimed.

"You'll still be able to see them all the time, darling!" my father told me.

I looked at McGonagall, who was still smiling at me proudly.

"Okay" I whispered. All I could think of was that Albus and I would never be able to be in the same class again.

"Great!" McGonagall said as she stood up. "I will see you tomorrow night at the feast then, I expect?"

I nodded, and watched as my parents escorted her to the fireplace so she could floo home.

As soon as she was gone, my parents ran up to me and hugged me. "This calls for a dinner out!" my father grinned.

"I was going to go see Albus" I told them.

"Well how about you go get dressed now, and go visit him, and we'll meet you at Aphrodite's Parlour for dinner?" my mother suggested.

I raised my eyebrows. Aphrodite's Parlour was the most expensive magical restaurant in the country.

"Dress nicely!" my mother told me as I hurried up the stairs to get changed.

I ended up changing into a light blue cocktail dress with a cute cardigan and heals, and throwing up my hair into a messy bun. Less than half an hour later I stood in my fireplace, and floo powdered to the Potter Manor. I stepped out of the fireplace and looked around. Mrs. Potter, or as I called her, Ginny, stepped into the room to see who I was. I looked at her in surprise. Her hair was a mess, and she looked pale and thin, and very tired.

Ginny's face paled even more as she saw me. "Oh Ava!" she exclaimed, and then ran to hug me.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

Tears threatened to overspill out of Ginny's eyes. "They found one of Voldemort's last surviving supporters in the holidays"

"That's a good thing!" I told her.

Ginny shook her head. "They found him when he attacked Albus in Diagon Alley"

I stared at her, as Ginny's words sunk in. Albus had been attacked by a Death Eater? I tried to take a deep breath in, but my lungs seemed trapped. "He isn't…?" I whispered. I couldn't bring myself to say the word aloud.

Ginny shook her head quickly. "He's alive, but only just. The doctors don't know what curse he was hit with, so they can't reverse it and to keep him in a safe state they put him in a coma" she said weakly.

I stared at her. "Since when?" I whispered.

"Two weeks ago"

I clapped a hand over my mouth to help retain the sobs that were threatening to spill out. "I was on holiday enjoying myself while he's been in a coma" I murmured.

"I tried to write you, Ava" Ginny told me. "But I didn't know your address"

I tried to nod. "I need to see him" I said, turning to face her again.

Ginny nodded. "We'll go now" she said, and disappeared out of the door and returned with a coat. "Harry is already there at the moment"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Stepping into the room where Albus lay seemed unreal. He looked so small and fragile, very unlike the fit and muscular boy I went swimming with only a few weeks previous. His father, Harry, was sitting on a chair next to him, his one hand on top of Albus's. The tired man stood as Ginny and I entered the room and walked over to hold his wife's hand. Ginny gently touched my back with the small of my hand to move me closer to Albus. I stood at the foot of his bed and stared at him, his chest slowly moving up and down in calm breaths. "When will they wake him up?" I asked Ginny and Harry, who were still standing in the doorway behind me, clutching one another's hands.

"The doctors said it will only be safe to do so once they have figured out a counter curse to the one that was used" Harry said quietly. "They've been working at it since he got hit, but it doesn't look promising"

I tried to nod, a lump forming in my throat.

I sat down on the chair next to the hospital bed. I reached to hold Albus's hand, and was slightly comforted by the fact it was warm, however his unresponsiveness as I held his hand saddened me even more. He used to hold my hand so strongly, and now it was limp.

Ginny and Harry muttered that they'd "Get Coffee" and "Be back soon", so that I could have time alone with Albus. I'd seen many muggle movies about patients that were in a coma. Often, one of the other main characters would talk to them and they would end up waking up. So I tried. I talked to Albus about my holidays, and then I tried talking about memories we had shared since meeting when we were 11. Quite frankly it didn't help, so I ended up kneeling next to his bed with my forehead pressed into the mattress next to his hand. I noticed he didn't smell the way he did usually, instead he smelled of disinfectant and hospitals.

The door to the hospital room opened. Before I could lift my head off the mattress, a loud voice rudely asked. "Who are you?"

I turned and glared at James Potter.

James recognized me, and his face surprisingly softened.

Neither of us spoke as we looked at each other, and the mood in the room turned very awkward. "Where are my parents?" James finally asked.

I shrugged. "They left me to be alone with Albus, but they said they'll be back soon"

James nodded slowly. "Do you mind if I wait here?"

I was surprised by his politeness. "No" I told him.

James kneeled down beside me. I temporarily wondered if a curse had hit James too. "Why are you not being a total prick to me right now?" I asked him.

James stared at me. "My brother is in a coma. Sorry to surprise you with the revelation that I can actually form an emotional bond with someone." He told me, his voice getting slightly sarcastic and angry.

"Could have fooled me" I replied.

"That's only because you don't deserve to see this side of me"

"Well I can tell we're going to have a fun time in classes at Hogwarts together this year" I told him.

"You're not in my classes, honeybun. I would probably leave the school if you were"

I grinned. "Well I'd schedule a meeting with Professor McGonagall soon then if I were you"

James frowned. "Is this some sort of joke you think I'm gullible enough to believe?"

I stood up. "I guess you'll find out if it's a joke on the first day of classes at Hogwarts in two days." I turned to walk out of the door. "Oh and let your parents know I hope Albus gets better soon, although they already know that. See you on the train tomorrow! It's going to be a great year".

* * *

My parents didn't even come into King's Cross Station as I left to go to Hogwarts for my final year. I had talked to my parents very little over the holiday, as they had always been at business meetings as we travelled the world, and I was left to do my own thing. As I walked up to the barrier to enter Platform 9 ¾, I heard a shout behind me. "Ava!" Roxanne cried, running up to me, and engulfing me in a hug. "How are you?" she looked at me. I knew she was implying how I was after finding out about Albus.

"I'm okay," I told her quietly. "I need to talk to you about something really important when we're on the train."

Roxanne nodded and we quickly loaded our trunks onto the train and found a spare compartment.

"I don't know how to say this," I told Roxanne once we were both sitting down.

"What's the matter Ava?" she asked me worriedly. "Is this about Albus?"

I shook my head. "Professor McGonagall visited me yesterday. She wants me to be in seventh year from now on" I said quietly.

"What?" Roxanne asked, confused. "I don't understand," she laughed.

"I got such good marks in my OWLs that she has talked to the Ministry and they want me to move up to seventh year instead of slacking off in sixth year. She said it would be "most beneficial"".

"Oh" Roxanne said. "So we won't be in the same year anymore?"

I shook my head.

"But we've been dorm sisters since our first year!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking as she tried not to cry.

A lump in my throat formed as I hugged her tightly. "I know"

We sat together in silence, our arms wrapped around each other.

"I'll still be there to talk to though," I told her.

Roxanne nodded. "But you won't be there in my seventh year" she sighed.

"I'm sorry," I told her. "I tried convincing my parents otherwise but you know how they are"

She nodded and sighed again. "At least you can give me all your notes after you leave Hogwarts" she smiled.

"If I made notes in class, I would be giving you them before that anyway" I grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The sorting hat ceremony and the start of term feast were oddly emotional for me, as the realisation that this would be my last year, sank in. I held Roxanne's hand tightly under the table as we watched the first years get sorted into their houses, their lives at Hogwarts just beginning, unlike mine, which was now nearing its end.

Once most people had finished dinner and were waiting for desert, Professor McGonagall came up to me at the Gryffindor table. "Come with me, Miss Lockridge" she said, then walked me over to where the seventh year girls were sitting. "Girls" she said, calling them to attention. "This is Ava-Louisa Lockridge, and she is now a seventh year. Please make her feel welcome" she told them, and then gave me a very small smile before returning to her seat. The seventh year girls, all of whom I had already met in the common room or seen at the Potter's house, smiled at me curiously. A brunette whose name I believed to be Selena Winston moved over, so that I could sit next to her. "How come you're a seventh year now?" she asked curiously.

"The ministry thought it would be a good idea, because they didn't want me slacking off in sixth year" I smiled at the girls sitting around me.

"So pretty much you were too clever for your year?" one of the other girls asked me.

I shrugged. "I guess that's what they were saying"

"Oi Lockwood!" James Potter said loudly down the table from where he was sitting with the seventh year boys. "Why are you sitting with my girls?"

"We're not _your_ girls" another girl whose name I was sure was Bianca Lytton replied, rolling her eyes.

James only winked at her before turning back to me. "This is my group of friends, Lockwood. You stay with yours"

"Sorry, she's pretty much had orders from Professor McGonagall to sit with us" Selena told James with a grin.

"What?" James asked.

"She's with us now. A seventh year?" a different girl told James slowly, speaking to him as if he were a three year old.

James stared at me, remembering our conversation that we had just yesterday.

"Told you I wasn't lying," I said with a grin. "We're going to have a fun year."

The seventh year girls focused on me throughout the course of desert, making an effort to become friends, seeing as we would be sharing a dorm and spending our last year at Hogwarts together. The laughing and giggling continued as we got ready for bed.

"So do you have a boyfriend?" a very pretty girl who had identified herself as Annette Carlton asked me.

I paused for a second before answering. What were Albus and I? "I don't think so," I said.

"You don't _think_ so?" Katherine Langston, a short and slightly round girl questioned me.

I laughed awkwardly. "Well we were about to start something before he got attacked…" I trailed off.

"Is this Albus?" Dominique Weasley asked me with a wink.

I nodded and blushed.

"I so knew you two liked each other! I totally predicted this!" Annette shouted.

"You're definitely the next Professor Trelawney," a girl called Rebecca said sarcastically.

"Where was he today?" Selena asked.

All the girls turned to her. "You don't know?" Katherine asked her.

Selena frowned. "No? What happened?"

"I don't know either!" the tallest girl in the group, Annabelle said.

"Albus, James and Lily got attacked in Diagon Alley by what must be one of the last remaining death eaters!" Bianca told her.

"James and Lily were there?" I interrupted.

Bianca nodded. "Didn't you know? That's the reason they got attacked – all the Potter children were there together, without grown-ups to protect them"

"No one ever told me he was there with his siblings," I said quietly. I couldn't imagine how terrified Lily, the youngest of the three siblings, must have been as her older brothers tried to protect her.

"Wait" Selena said, suddenly very pale. "Albus didn't… die, did he?"

"No" Dominique told her quickly. I realised that talking about this was probably equally as painful as it was for me; he was her cousin after all.

"He got hit by an unidentifiable curse," I explained. "And the doctors put him in a spell-coma, until they figure out the counter-curse, but right now they are no where close to finding anything."

"That's so sad" Annabelle exclaimed, and there were murmurs of agreement.

"What type of curse was it?" Annette asked.

The girls shrugged and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

Talking about Albus made me miss him so much more, and feel so sorry for what he had to endure. "The doctors described it a bit like the Cruciatus Curse, only permanent. Apparently he was writhing in pain and screaming non-stop, and" I could feel a lump form in my throat, and tears were threatening to spill out of my eyes.

"It's okay you don't have to explain any more" Katherine quickly told me, then sent a warning look to all the other girls to stop talking about this. They understood and hurriedly changed the topic of conversation, which I appreciated greatly.

The first class I had as a seventh year was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall smiled at me as I walked through the door. "Ah! Lockwood! Would you mind if I sat you next to one of my best students? Just so that they can catch you up on last years work and give you a hand if you need one"

I nodded and smiled, hoping she would sit me next to one of the girls from my dorm.

"I know it's at the back of the classroom, but I promise he understands the concepts the easiest of them all. I believe he inherited his grandfathers genes!" she told me.

I nodded, however my smile dropped a bit. There were no seventh year boys I knew especially well.

The spot beside me stayed empty, and just as the class was about to start did the door slam open and two boys came rushing inside.

"Hey!" Fred Weasley cried out. "Professor! She's sitting in my seat!"

McGonagall nodded. "You are going to sit next to Miss Winston from now on. Potter, you will stay where you usually sit"

"I'm sorry?!" James exclaimed.

I looked at the older Potter brother in horror, as he did at me.

"Professor…" I trailed off.

"Sit down Potter" she said firmly. "No discussions." She looked at both of us.

James sat down next to me angrily, and we ignored each other the whole lesson.

All my other classes ran smoothly, and in some I even experienced what many other students must feel often, and that was confusion about the topic we were studying. This was mainly because I had missed a year's work, however I usually caught on fast enough to not feel stressed.

After classes I went for a walk across the beautiful grounds with Roxanne.

"Classes are so different without you" she told me sadly.

I nodded. "I have to sit next to James Potter in Transfiguration"

Roxanne laughed. "I would pay to see that"

We walked in silent for a few minutes until we came to the hill that looked down on the bay where Albus and I had kissed only a few weeks ago. I stopped walking and stared down at the shore. Roxanne stood next to me quietly, no idea at what Albus and I had started before the end of our fifth year.

"I miss him so much" I said quietly.

Roxanne nodded, completely understanding. Albus was my best friend, and being at Hogwarts without him felt so wrong.

"He's alive, Ava. The doctors will find a way to wake him up and cure him one day"

I nodded. "We kissed"

"What?" Roxanne asked.

"Albus and I kissed here at the end of last year"

Roxanne stared at me, unable to form words.

"I don't understand" she said.

"We kissed, and we thought we could give us a shot at being a couple, after I came back from my holidays, but when I came back…" tears welled up in my eyes.

Roxanne looked deeply sorry for me and pulled me into a tight hug. "He's not gone forever" she reminded me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

As James sat down next to me the following Transfiguration class, I collected myself and turned to him. "Are there any updates on Albus?" I asked quietly.

James stared at me and his expression was unreadable before he shook his head. I took a deep breath and stared straight ahead again. Every new day at Hogwarts without him became harder and harder.

I jumped when James carefully touched my arm. His expression was completely sincere. "He'll be fine".

I nodded slowly; surprised James was showing me his vulnerable side, even if it was about his brother.

Part way through the lesson, James turned to me again and whispered, "Did you and Albus have any romantic connection at all?"

I stared at James, confused. "Not that it's any of your business, but no"

James nodded, but I couldn't tell how this news affected him, as he seemed to have perfected his poker face.

"Why?" I asked.

James shrugged. "Just wondering if we have to put your name on his gravestone if he never wakes up"

My jaw dropped open at his comment, surprised at what he'd said, compared to how vulnerable he had been only minutes before. How dare he be so insensitive about the topic? I pointed my wand at him. "Never say that again," I threatened quietly.

James looked down at my wand and smirked. "Or what? You'll hex me during class?"

I glared at him, completely furious. I muttered a spell under my breath, and bit my lip to stop me from giggling.

James frowned, trying to figure out what I had done. I turned back to the front of the class, my attention returning to Professor McGonagall.

Just before we stood up to leave the class, James elbowed me in the side and hissed, "What did you do to me?"

I turned to him and grinned, shrugged, then joined Katherine and Bianca, who burst into laughter as they saw James, who's ears and nose were twice the size they usually were, due to my hex. We exited the classroom just as we heard Fred cry out about James' distorted facial features.

I was in the library with Annette, who also had a study period, when James burst into the library and marched up to my desk angrily. I noticed his facial features were their normal size again. "Lockwood!" he addressed me. "You are such a bitch! I totally missed an opportunity to snog Scarlett because of what you did to me!"

I rolled my eyes. "You deserved it"

"I've been waiting for an opportunity to snog her since my third year!" he loudly protested.

"James, we're trying to study here" Annette pointed out.

James scowled. "You watch out Lockwood," he said. "I'll get you back for this"

I rolled my eyes. "Have fun with that, Potter. At least I'm not joking about my brothers death"

"He did what?" Annette asked in shock.

I scowled. "He asked if they would need to put my name on his gravestone."

"He didn't!" Annette exclaimed. "What a complete ass! I'm proud of you for hexing him" she added.

I smiled. "Thanks for your support, although I would have hexed him even if you didn't think it was a good idea."

* * *

Although though I wasn't particularly scared of James Potter, I noticed that I looked over my shoulder multiple times the rest of the day, just in case he was there, ready to "get his revenge". I saw him glare at me during dinner, and I smirked and looked away. What a tosser.

James completely ignored me in our following lessons together. I was almost beginning to think that this was how it was going to be for the rest of our time at Hogwarts, until one day I suddenly realised that the notes I had been taking in class (yes, I had started taking some notes this year) were disappearing after a few days, leaving behind blank pages. I could only think of one reason why this would be, and approached James about it the following Transfiguration class.

"Potter"

He looked at me, and smirked as he assumed what this would be about.

"You're lucky I don't take notes as seriously as your cousin Rose" I told him. "Your prank was slightly silly seeing as I hardly take notes" I added.

James stared at me, confused. "You must take notes!" he laughed. "How would you have gotten Outstanding in all of your O.W.L.s if you didn't take notes?" He asked.

I grinned at him and winked. "Guess I'm just smart. Albus didn't take notes either" I told him.

James stared at me. "Of course he did! I saw all of his notebooks! He had dozens of them!"

"What?" I asked, confused. "I never saw him take notes?"

"I guess you don't know him as well as you thought you did, honey" James smirked.

"Don't call me "honey"" I glared at him.

He grinned and leaned towards me. "Why ever not, sweetheart?" he whispered in my ear in a seductive tone.

I shivered and looked at him with wide eyes. What the hell was he doing?

James smirked as he saw my startled face.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall asked me a question. James grinned as he realised I would have no clue what the answer would be, due to the fact he had me distracted me very well.

I answered only seconds after she had asked me the question, and Professor McGonagall confirmed it was right. James looked at me in shock.

"Everyone knows girls can multitask better than boys" I grinned at James.

"I never doubted you for a second" he replied with a smirk.

* * *

After a few days, the spell on my schoolbooks had still not been lifted, which had become increasingly frustrating.

"James" I said accusingly after approaching him in the common room one evening.

"Yes, Lockwood?" he asked in a bored voice, annoyed that I was distracting him from whatever he was discussing with his friends.

"I need you to lift the spell you have on all my stationary. I need to write a letter to my parents" I told him.

James smirked. "Make me" he grinned.

I glared at him. "Fine" I answered, then turned my back on him and walked straight over to Annabelle Teppi, who was a sixth year well known for being the biggest gossiper in Gryffindor.

I smiled as I sat down next to her. "Annabelle! We haven't spoken for so long!" I began. I could feel James' curious eyes on my back as I began my revenge.

It didn't take many days for James to approach me angrily at the dinner table in the Great Hall.

"Lockwood" he seethed. "Outside. Now."

I grinned as I left the girls, and flounced outside.

"What's up?" I smirked.

"You know what's up" he glared at me. "Why does everyone in the school think I have a Muggle disease called rabies?" he asked me accusingly.

"No idea" I shrugged and grinned.

"No girl wants to kiss me now!" he told me.

This made me grin even more. "Your loss" I told him.

James approached me, and I backed against the wall. "Why do you keep doing this to me?" he asked me.

"Doing what?" I replied, looking at him through narrowed eyes as he put an arm either side of me so that I was trapped.

"Preventing me from kissing any other girls" he said slowly, his eyes scanning my face, before he moved his head lower.

What was he was doing? I could feel him grinning against my neck as he said, "If anything, I would think that you have a little crush on me". James Potter then kissed my neck, and I stiffened. He moved his way up to my jaw, with small, delicate kisses, and I found myself completely relax in his arms.

James pulled away and grinned. "I knew it" he laughed, and then walked away as I was left staring dumbfounded after him.


End file.
